The thing about Byers (who also supports Piers Morgan apparently) is the utter predictability. Lefty predictability is just as attack-worthy as right wing predictability. No one really likes obviousness. It doesn't help or further the discussion.

Of course Dylan Byers is perfectly correct. Laws are only intended to apply to absurd wingers like Wayne LaPierre and the 2nd Amendment freaks he represents. However, David Gregory, by not being a Columbia J-school graduate, occupies a curious middle ground. Since he is not a fully qualified member of the ruling elite his immunity to the statues and ordinances of the District of Columbia is questionable.

Lem, yes it would, except the police didn't actually tell them that they couldn't show it on the air, but that they couldn't have it in the studio. The "not permissible" was about possession, not "show on air" - that's Politico's own spin.

Dylan Byers takes the handoff at the 25 and runs around right end. Irony Alert pushes him out at the 30 but Byers, ignoring the whistles and lack of pursuit, streaks 75 yards into the end zone and spikes the ball over the goal posts.

If you see the absurdity of David Gregory going to jail for this, perhaps you can see clear to the absurdity of making instant felons of 99.999% of legal gun owners with some sweeping national ban on rifles/mags/black paint...

Liberals are always expected to be excused from committing crimes...they "mean well". That's why they can lie, commit voter fraud, and flaunt gun laws with impunity. There is no one except the conservative's to actually call them on it. Sure as hell the press won't.(nor the RINO's)

I see this playing out in a vague parallel to Deputy AG Wilfred Brimley's ass-whupping in "Absence of Malice".

Prosecutor to a small gathering of NBC lawyers, David Gregory, 3 filthy rich news producers, and a pair of unfortunate flunky gopher and goferettes named Yishak and LaToiletta.

Prosecutor to David Gregory: "What happened"?"The producer making 900K a year, the one in the middle, just handed it to me to use. I had talked in the middle of the week about how cool it would be to use it as a prop. So I did and handed it to gopher boy Yishak, who is son to some NBC exec in NYC.."

Prosecutor: "So it was never yours and you never brought it into DC and didn't know it was wrong to have as you were calling for possession of such a thing to be a crime when it was already a crime in the jurisdiction you broadcast from....Well, being stupid is no crime and I believe you sir. As a liberal journalist I think you really are that stupid. You can go, Mr Gregory.

The NBC star leaves the room. So do the two wealthy producers Gregory didn't finger, as to the two men's personal lawyers.

Prosecutor: "Now, Mr. Producer, explain to me how the hell this happened!! "

It wasn't my fault. I had some flunky get it, after I told my secretary to sheck and explain that we were not some mere citizen, but NBC itself, needing the assault weapon magazine to wave about in the name of the children.She said the police still had problems with it, but didn't say specifically we couldn't use it. So I reprimanded her.But I didn't actually get it, I gave some money to a flunky to get it...Yishak. I never physically touched it."

Prosecutor: "Well, Yishak???"Yishak: "Look, my Dad knows people and the lawyers say..."Prosecutor: "You see that man standing behind me? He is a DC Marshall and he has these things in his pocket called subpeonas. And if I tell him to, he will drag your ass down to DC jail right now so you are ready for grand jury testimony and you can wait out the night in a holding cell full of 36 black gang bangers".Yishak - "Look, I didn't even get it! I went to Virginia but they were all sold out! Went to 6 different stores. Talk to LaToiletta."Prosecutor: "Well, before I ask you, I have to say your mother picked one doozy out for your 1st name..seems to be a black thing..once met a thug whose momma gave him the Arabic name for unclean animal because it sounded good to her. "LaToiletta: "Yishak come to me, say he done struck out, offered me 25 to get one to borrow. Got a friend of a friend who knows someone who might be Rasheed, but that not his real name. Anyhow, Rasheed took 20 to buy a bag and tole my friend he better get it back or he shoot my ass."

NBC lawyers: "but, but"

Prosecutor:"Everybody just shut up. LaToiletta..do you have career plans past being a scut-gurl for those rich suits? Time to start looking, because the lawyers probably already have HR drafting your termination.Mr. Producer...seems that you are the one that sent that skinny kid Yishak out to be your assault weapons stawman. When he couldn't come up with it, he went to LaToiletta. I do believe I will ask that friendly Marshall to give you one of those subpeona letters and I understand that unlike Yishak the lawyers will block having you spend the night with all them gang-bagers. But you are in a whole heap of trouble."

I forget which Republican politico (somebody who worked for Nixon, I think) who ran afoul of some obscure regulation and and got into all kinds of trouble and the Lefties thought it was soooo hilarious.

If they prosecute Gregory will claim that his possession of the clip was protected free speech. Lawyers will arrive and much money will be paid. Journalism and press freedom will be said to be in crisis. Gregory will be unrepentant and his kids at Sidwell Friends will be safe behind the legal guns carried by the various protectors ringing the school. No white children will die unexpectedly and therefore the entire thing will be soon forgotten.

"...when he displayed what appeared to be a gun magazine on last week's show. Today, the police issued a statement, saying NBC had been told before last Sunday's show that it was “not permissible” to show a high-capacity gun magazine on air."

Uh, yeah, it's what appeared to be a gun magazine, because, see, you can go to any novelty shop and buy what appeared to be a gun magazine, instead of, you know, actually breaking the applicable law and possessing something against the law for which no one would actually make a fake, what appeared to be a gun magazine.

So let me understand this. Showing essentially what amounts to a plastic or metal curved box or container with a spring inside of it that has no ammunition in it at all, on television constitutes a felony? I'm not a fan of David Gregory at all and find him to be an unmitigated hypocrite of the highest order, in his twisted, one-sided interview with Mr. La Pierre's idea about having armed security or peace officers stationed at schools, while he sends his children to a school that has armed security stationed there. Since when was the D.C. Police department in charge of the 1st amendment on television or is it completely gone now in D.C. at this point? I'd say this is clearly in issue I would litigate and vigorously. Not only does it hamper a news organizations ability to conduct freedom of the press, as much as I detest leftist news reporting, but it clearly hampers a citizens right to even own such a device under any circumstance. Absurd.

I wonder how many people are in the set comprised of the intersection of the set of people who think Sam Bacile got what he deserved and the set who think pursuing this whole David Gregory nonissue is frivolous.

"So let me understand this. Showing essentially what amounts to a plastic or metal curved box or container with a spring inside of it that has no ammunition in it at all, on television constitutes a felony?"

Yeah.

Pretty much.

And since Gregory WANTS IT THAT WAY, I think we should just let him have it that way. Fair?

Everyone that touched that contraband in the building at NBC studios should be charged with the felony of possession of a unlawful 30 round magazine. NBC executives should be charged with felonies, David Gregory is their agent.They should all be accountable, just like law abiding citizens charged with felonies in DC and NYC airports while changing flights. Their crimes being owners of firearms packed in Federally and TSA approved travel gun safes. If you're going to cuff them, cuff Gregory.

Wingers salivating over seeing a hardened criminal like Gregory having to defend himself to the police. That'll show him to mess with our gun rights!

Don't do the crime if you can't do the crime. He was advocating that possession of such items should be against the law and that those that have them should be thrown in jail to be ass-raped by unpleasantly mean individuals. While doing so he actually violated the law that was already in place. So he should be thrown in jail to spend the next year getting ass-raped by unpleasantly mean individuals. It's what he is advocating!

Perhaps at the end of it he will have an appreciation of blind justice. And also that perhaps the prisons need a different kind of reform that what he probably thinks now.

Crimso said...I wonder how many people are in the set comprised of the intersection of the set of people who think Sam Bacile got what he deserved and the set who think pursuing this whole David Gregory nonissue is frivolous===================I think the set of people that think felon Bacile should not be thrown back in jail for violating his probation's specific terms of release to serve out the rest of his sentence is very, very small. He makes a bad right-wing "Freedom Lover/1st Amendment Hero" martyr, especially given he stated his goal was to incite Muslims to kill and injure Americans.His well-deserved frog march back to jail to serve the remainder of his felony sentence was hardly frivilous. In a year, he will be released. Then the scumbag career criminal will be back to new crimes. Pity we cannot deport him to Egypt as an undesirable alien, even if the Brotherhood will kill him within hours of setting foot on the ground.

If you are a hero refugee from persecution - it strongly behooves one not to try to kill and injure his hosts. Nakoula lost any right to stay in America because of his life of victimizing native born Americans.

As for Gregory..the heat will not be on him, but the unhappy little low or no pay gopher flunkyboy or flunkygirl that fetched the magazine. Not on the rich producer that told them to go fetch for an even richer Gregory who will walk once it is clear he is just a stupid man who reads news the writers and producers feed him off a TelePrompter.

Showing essentially what amounts to a plastic or metal curved box or container with a spring inside of it that has no ammunition in it at all, on television constitutes a felony?

Close. In certain parts of the country, including the studios where MTP is shot, possessing a plastic or metal curved box or container with a spring inside of it that has no ammunition in it at all, on television constitutes a felony.

"He makes a bad right-wing "Freedom Lover/1st Amendment Hero" martyr, especially given he stated his goal was to incite Muslims to kill and injure Americans..... - it strongly behooves one not to try to kill and injure his hosts."

I don't see any evidence that he tried to kill Americans, nor that he said that his goal was to kill Americans.

"Not on the rich producer that told them to go fetch for an even richer Gregory who will walk once it is clear he is just a stupid man who reads news the writers and producers feed him off a TelePrompter."

Gregory may be stupid - but he was shown in possession of illegal magazine. He should go to jail.

H-A ..."I don't see any evidence that he tried to kill Americans, nor that he said that his goal was to kill Americans."

The idiot gave an interview before he got lawyered up when he claimed he was an Israeli funded by Jews there and in America, and his personal goal was to show what animals Muslims are by using the Prophet defamation to anger them to the point where they would kill and injure Americans.

(Note to right-wingers - just because Obama whacked a traitor US citizen in Yemen who had also incited Muslims to kill or injure Americans (Maj. Nidal Hasan was a disciple) and didn't cry and personally intercede when authorities booted the scumbag Nakoula back in jail...does not mean as right-wingers you must hold al-Awalki and Nakoula as Martyrs of the Sacred Parchment)

"The idiot gave an interview before he got lawyered up when he claimed he was an Israeli funded by Jews there and in America, and his personal goal was to show what animals Muslims are by using the Prophet defamation to anger them to the point where they would kill and injure Americans."

Is it possible to see the transcript of this interview, where he said that he wanted moslems to kill Americans?

"does not mean as right-wingers you must hold al-Awalki and Nakoula as Martyrs of the Sacred Parchment"

I don't know any right-wingers who put al-Awlaki as a martyr. I do know that Nakuola did not do anything wrong with his video, and the only reason why he was sent to jail was to appease the fascists.

A "star" of NBC who thinks gun control laws are great and armed security at public schools is unthinkable does the following: (1) sends his kid to a private school with 11 armed security officers; (2) violates the DC gun control law during the course of the interview; and (3) demmonstrates the absudity of the gun control law. A trifecta tribute to left wing absurdity.

H-A "Not on the rich producer that told them to go fetch for an even richer Gregory who will walk once it is clear he is just a stupid man who reads news the writers and producers feed him off a TelePrompter."

Gregory may be stupid - but he was shown in possession of illegal magazine. He should go to jail.

I don't think you understand the law or how the Big Media works. Touching an ilegal item you do not own, in the company of the person who brought it, does not constitute "possession".

And in the Big Media, a star goyim like David Gregory does not waste his valuable time when he could be at an Embassy soire` white tie affair skulking about gun shops for illegal items to put in his car and bring into DC. Nor is he likely the person that activated the NBC flunky that served as stawman buyer and gopher. That would be a producer who is paid to think...not a stupid WASP prop guy paid even more than the brains at NBC sre just to look good on camera and read the news.

This is how it will play out.....The flunky is fired at the behest of NBC lawyers. The producer that orchestrated the whole thing will resign and promptly be rehired by General Electric to a new producer job in international PR or some other media Immelt now owns for GE. Gregory will walk when it is clear he was just a clueless reader of news, who was just handed a gun clip prop by the 2nd assistant to the involved producer, between her blowjob assignments.

"But presumably to 'show it on air' you have to have possession... unless you 'show it on air' remotely."

I do believe you're starting to catch on. The First Amendment is not a blanket against any and all criminal conduct, provided only that you intend to talk about or broadcast photographs of, said illegal conduct.

He was perfect free to show photos of illegal-to-possess-in-DC magazines, regardless of where they were taken--heck, even if they were takin in DC of illegal conduct committed by someone else. But that's all.

Meth, McT, Gahrie, and everyone else:

NOT a felony, it's a lowly misdemeanor. 1 year in jail or $1,000 fine.

And yeah, the ratio between monetary fines and time in jail has not been kept rational... I wonder if the judge would have the discretion to specify one and not the other? 364 days for Mr. Gregory... my schadenfreude would know no bounds.

Close. In certain parts of the country, including the studios where MTP is shot, possessing a plastic or metal curved box or container with a spring inside of it that has no ammunition in it at all, on television constitutes a felony.

Too which I say shouldn't be against the law, that Gregory and NBC should fight vigorously in a court of law to overturn and they should defend him in court if it ever gets there. The idea that an unloaded magazine is a felony is bullshit. However, that being said, do I want to see him prosecuted for it? No. Is he going to get prosecuted for it. No.

This entire issue is an affront to any freedom loving American and the police state of D.C. should be sued into oblivion for even having a law like this passed. I hope it comes up in front of SCOTUS and is brought down hard.

Close. In certain parts of the country, including the studios where MTP is shot, possessing a plastic or metal curved box or container with a spring inside of it that has no ammunition in it at all, on television constitutes a felony.

Too which I say shouldn't be against the law, that Gregory and NBC should fight vigorously in a court of law to overturn and they should defend him in court if it ever gets there. The idea that an unloaded magazine is a felony is bullshit. However, that being said, do I want to see him prosecuted for it? No. Is he going to get prosecuted for it. No.

This entire issue is an affront to any freedom loving American and the police state of D.C. should be sued into oblivion for even having a law like this passed. I hope it comes up in front of SCOTUS and is brought down hard.

That linked story is nuts. The ATF has a pivotal role in enforcing federal firearms law, alas and alack to us all, but has nothing whatsoever to do with DC law, which is between Congress (with its pathetically misguided attempt at handing of 'self-rule) and DC itself.

Look, it would have been sweet if LaPierre was quick enough on his feet to react to the surpise use of the prop clip, but that is a pretty high standard. I though Lapierre did pretty well. He more than politicians tries to answer the questions. Gregory had a game plan to try to trap him and Lapierre more of less allowed himself to be trapped by Gregory taking LaPierre's line out of context and using it against him - about if it is possible it might save lives, to try it.

"I think the set of people that think felon Bacile should not be thrown back in jail for violating his probation's specific terms of release to serve out the rest of his sentence is very, very small."

So you think the first set is very, very large. I would guess that the larger the first set (or the second, or both), the larger the intersection set will likely be. Bacile is no martyr; he broke the law and went back to jail. Gregory apparently broke the law (and a damned serious law, to hear the firearms-control enthusiasts pushing it), but I bet he won't go to jail. I bet he won't even be prosecuted. Some animals are more equal than others.

The most entertaining part of this isn't even Gregory himself. It's that the episode is exposing the rank hypocrisy of all his pro gun control supporters.

It's the best encapsulation of Fen's Law yet: the left really doesn't believe in the bullshit they lecture us about.

If Gregory is not charged then everyone who ever was charged and everyone charged with possession of an illegal mag in the future should file a lawsuit claiming selective enforcement. Let the DA explain to jury after jury and judge after judge just why Gregory is special.

Was it because he's obviously not threatening anyone? Was it because he's otherwise law abiding and it's stupid to charge him? Fix the target, Gregory. Personalize it and freeze it. Make these goddamned libtards state their case themselves. As Saul Alinsky said, make them live up to their own rule book.

Looks to me like an accidental act of civil disobedience. Or would be, if Gregory thought the law was stupid or unjust or immoral or unenforceable or otherwise needing to be repealed -- rather than the opposite.

As it is, he's just accidentally a poster child for the double-standard of gun opponents, and the media in general.

"Too which I say shouldn't be against the law, that Gregory and NBC should fight vigorously in a court of law to overturn and they should defend him in court if it ever gets there."

Yes, I think it would be instructive for NBC to devote some time and money to making the case that the "law" Mr. Gregory "violated" is null and void because it is contrary to the Second Amendment to the US Constitution.

NBC is in the entertainment business, and that would be really entertaining.